1. Field of the Invention
The present invention generally relates to a vehicle body structure. More specifically, the present invention relates to a vehicle body structure having a mounting arrangement for pivotally coupling a vehicle door to a vehicle body.
2. Background Information
Many vehicles such as station wagons, support utility vehicles and mini vans include a rear door (e.g., a tailgate or a lift gate) that is pivotally mounted to pivot about horizontal axes in order to access a rear cargo space. Such rear doors are typically mounted to the vehicle body by a pair of lift gate hinge assemblies located at the top end of the lift gate. Typically, such lift gates are heavy, and thus, the lift gate be mounted to a strong structural portion of the vehicle. In most cases, the lift gate hinge assemblies are mounted at the rear end of the vehicle roof. In some vehicles, the lift gate hinge assemblies are mounted to an exterior surface of the vehicle roof. In order to make the exterior of the vehicle more aesthetically pleasing, the lift gate hinge assemblies are occasionally mounted in the roof ditches of the vehicle roof and covered with a molding. Also, the hinge assemblies can be mounted to the side edges of the lift gate so that are not readily visible when the lift gate is closed. Thus, the freedom of the layout of components for the vehicle's rear end tends to be constrained by the configuration and structural mounting requirements of the lift gate hinge assemblies.